Paolo Chirillo trained as a doctor and chose to come back to Calabria to practise. He runs Le Moire with Ana at Motta Santa Lucia, on the middle stretch of the Savuto river. The estate was founded in 2006 and does nothing but wine. Paolo looks after every step himself, from the vines to the bottle, with a team of local farmers, agronomists, winemakers and graphic designers. He is also a founding member of AIR, the Reventino business owners' association. The estate makes 20,000 to 30,000 bottles a year.
The vines grow at about 400 metres on a ridge along the left side of the Savuto, with untouched woods all round. Four of the estate's roughly six hectares are planted, five to six football pitches of vineyard. The river brings sharp swings between day and night temperatures, which the estate says deepen the aromas of its native grapes. A wind climbs the valley from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the rows catch the first morning sun, and the soil is deep and drains well. The estate says this healthy site is what makes organic growing possible here.
The rows are planted tight, more than 6,000 vines to a hectare, on low trellises and on rootstocks that hold back growth. Every job from winter pruning to picking is done by hand, so each vine keeps only a few bunches. In the cellar the bunches are sorted by hand, then given a slow maceration at a controlled temperature and a soft pressing. The aim, the estate says, is to keep the character and the fragrance of ripe fruit. Neither red goes into small oak barrels.
Greco Nero, a red grape of Calabria, makes the reds and the rosé. Annibale is Greco Nero on its own, named for Hannibal. The estate's tag for it is the elephant's memory and the conqueror's strength. Mute adds a tenth each of Magliocco Canino and Syrah to the Greco Nero. The white is Zaleuco, Mantonico on its own, named after Zaleucus of Locri, whom the estate calls the first lawgiver of the West. It comes in two styles: a dry 2024, and a 2022 made with time on the grape skins. All of them carry the IGT Calabria label, and none is sold in the UK yet.
Visits are by booking, and Paolo leads them. He walks guests through the cellar and the vineyards and explains each stage of the wine. He adds the history and culture of the place along the way. In the warmer months the walk can carry on to a bridge from Roman times known as Ponte di Annibale, Hannibal's bridge, by the Savuto. It can only be reached on foot, along a slightly rough path. Tastings of the four wines are hosted by Paolo and Ana in the cellar, in Italian, English or Spanish. A light lunch of local cheeses and cured meats can be added. The estate's box says "Memory by the glass", and memory is the thread of its story. It recalls a grandfather's cross of wine on a newborn's lips, and the Enotri, as the people of this land were called in its distant past. It recalls the wine this land once poured for Olympic winners, for the warriors of Sybaris and Kroton, and for the popes' tables.
Calabria
Est. 2006 
3 wines 
Tastings
Tours
Booking required 
Aglianico
Pecorello
